Puzzles are often used as entertainment devices. For instance, jigsaw puzzles have been used for centuries to entertain and amuse players. Typically, the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle are fitted together to form a pictorial reproduction of a landscape scene or other object. These puzzles are normally used strictly as entertainment devices.
A few puzzles have been created for use as instructional systems as well. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,512 discloses an interactive book puzzle instructional entertainment system. This system includes a story book with puzzle pieces. The player is able to fit puzzle pieces together in accordance with the story in the book.
Another puzzle is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,507. This patent discloses an instructional child's story and picture book. A book is used having pages with a story on one side and a puzzle on another page or side of the page. Interlocking pieces are included which when fitted together form an image relating to the story on the opposing page. The puzzle may include a cavity for fitting the puzzle pieces together. The bottom surface of this cavity may include some prints or words to assist the player in placing the pieces in the cavity for less advanced players.
The known prior art puzzles seldom use a backing layer on which the pieces of a puzzle are fitted together. The only known use of a backing layer on which text or prints are used is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,507. This use is only to assist small children or less skilled players in placing the pieces together on the backing layer. The only known uses of using a puzzle to depict a story, as described above, use a puzzle in a physically separate location than the story itself. There are no presently known puzzles which incorporate a story into the backing layer of the puzzle itself.